The Turtle Doue. Or, The wooing in the Wood, being a pleasant new Song of two constant Louers.
To the tune of, the North Countre Lasse.
VVHen
Flora she had deckt
the fields with flowers faire,
my loue and I did walke abroad,
to take the Pleasant ayre.
Faire
phebus brightly shind,
and gentlie warmd each thing:
Where euery creature then did seeme,
to welcome in the Spring.
Into a pleasant groue,
by
Nature trimly made:
My Loue and I together walkt,
to coole vs in the shade.
The bubling brookes did glide,
the siluer fishes leape:
The gentle Lambes & nimble Fawnes
did seeme to leape and skipe,
The Birds with sugured notes,
their prettie throats did straine:
And Shepheards on their oten pipes,
made musicke on the plaines.
Then I began to talke,
of Louers in their blis:
I wood her and courted her,
for to exchange a kiss.
With that she straight way said,
harke how the
Nigtingale,
Although that she doth sweetly sing.
doth tell a heauie tale.
That in her maiden yeares,
by man she had much wrong:
Which makes her now with thorne inbrest
to sing a mournefull song.
With that I lent an eare,
to heare sweete
Philomell.
Amongst the other Birds in woods,
and she this tale did tell.
Fair maides be warnd by me,
I was a maiden pure.
Vntill by man I was orereacht,
which makes me this indure.
To liue in woods and groues,
sequestred from all sight:
For heauily I doe complaine,
both morning, noone, and night.
The
Threstle-cock did say,
fie,
Phil
[...] ▪ you are to blame:
Although that one did doe amisse,
Will all men doe the same.
No quoth the
Ousell then,
though I be blacke of hew:
Vnto my mate and dearest loue,
I alwaies will prooue true.
The
Blackebird hauing spoke,
the
Larke began to sing:
If I pertisipate of ought,
my loue to it I bring.
The
Mag-pie vp did start,
and straight began to chatter:
Beleeue not men they all are false,
for they will lye and flatter.
Then vp vpon a leafe,
the
Wren leapt by and by,
And said bold Parrat your pide-coate,
shewes you can cog and lye.
The Second part.
To the same Tune.
THen
Robin-Redbrest said,
Tis I in loue am true:
My couller shewes that I am he,
if you giue me my dew.
No, said the
Linet then,
your brest it is to yellow:
For let your loue be neuer so true,
you lethinke you haue a fellow.
Another bird start vp,
being cald the
Popengay,
And said faire Mistris view me well,
my coate is fine and gay,
Away with painted stuffe,
the
Felde fare did say:
My couller it the abourne is,
and beares the bell away.
The
Goldfinch then bespake,
my coullours they are pure:
For yellow, red, for blacke, and white,
all weathers will indure.
Each bird within the wood,
a seuerall sentence gaue:
And all did striue with seuerall notes,
preheminence to haue.
Then from an Iuie bush,
the
Owle put forth her head
And said, not such an other Bird
as I, the wood hath breed.
With that each Bird of note,
did beate the
Owle away:
That neuer more he durst be seene,
to stay abroad by day.
And then they all agreed,
to choose the
Turtle Doue,
And that he should deside the cause,
betwixt me and my loue.
Who thus began to speake,
Behold sweet maiden faire:
How my beloued and my selfe,
doe alwayes liue a paire.
We neuer vse to change,
but alwaies liue in loue:
We kisse and bill, and therefore cald,
The faithfull
Turtle Doue.
And when that each doth die,
we spend our time in mone,
Bewayling our deceased frind,
we liue and die alone.
We neuer match againe,
as other birds doe vse:
Therefore sweet Maiden loue your
doe not true loue refuse.
Thus ending of his speech,
they all did silent stand,
And then I turnd me to my loue,
aud tooke her by the hand
And said, my dearest sweete,
behold the loue of these:
How euery one in his degree,
doe seeke his ma
[...] to please.
Then fairest grant to me,
your constant heart and loue:
And I will proue as true to thee,
as doth the
Turtle Doue,
She said heere is my hand,
my heart and all I haue:
I kist her, and vpon the same
a token to her gaue.
And then vpon the same,
the Birds did sweetly sing:
That ecchoes through the woods and groues,
most
[...]owdly then did ring.
Then vp I tooke my Loue,
and arme in arme did walke:
With her vnto her fathers house,
where we with him did talke.
Who soone did condiscend
when we weare both agreed
And shortly to the church we went,
and married were with speed.
The Bells aloud did ring
and Minstrels they did play
And euery Youth and maid did striue,
to grace our wedding day.
God grant my loue and I,
may haue the like successe:
And liue in loue vntill we die,
in ioy and righteousnes.
FINIS.